


The Trouble with Love Is...

by DiamondBlade



Series: Thankful [3]
Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Charge
Genre: F/M, Hospitalization, Hospitals, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 09:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondBlade/pseuds/DiamondBlade
Summary: Riley, blaming himself, deals with his emotions surrounding Chase's injury on the movie set. Moana comforts him, as do Kendall and the other Rangers. When they go to visit Chase, however...





	The Trouble with Love Is...

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this originally as my grandmother was dealing with something similar - she'd fallen at work, we were told it was a minor injury over the phone, it wound up being much worse when we got to the ER - so parts of this installment mirror what I was experiencing back in 2015.

Riley sat in the waiting room of the Amber Beach Community Hospital’s Emergency Room, waiting for an update on Chase’s condition. Oddly, there wasn’t anybody else in the lounge except him, so he had free reign over the television. He turned one on near his seat and started to flip through the channels…

_“A vision of Christ in a half-eaten candy bar? Talk about my sweet Lord! ‘The Immaculate Confection,’ next on ‘Sick Sad World’!”_

“Um… No.” He changed the channel.

_“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have –“_ *click*

_“Mahali pekee utasikia wanataka kuwa ni chini yangu mti wa Krismasi.”_ *click*

Riley turned the TV off, pulled out his phone, and started to look through his photo gallery. He looked through the photos of him and Chase together, and his sadness started to well up inside. “No, Riley, you have to be strong. Chase is going to be fine. He was wearing a helmet. He’ll be fine.”

_“Riley!”_ He turned toward the doors to the ER and saw Moana come running in. “How is he?”

“I haven’t heard anything yet, but he was wearing a helmet. The injury didn’t look that serious, so he’ll probably be fine.”

Moana looked around. “Why isn’t anybody here?” Riley shrugged. “Is this some second-rate hospital? That cheap bastard Santamonica probably picked this one, didn’t he?”

“What happened? That dream date didn’t pan out?”

“No, and there wasn’t even any wine!”

Riley snickered. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Anyway,” he looked around, “you’d think I would have heard something by now.”

Moana saw that there was a hallway next to the triage office. “Say, do you know what room he’s in?”

“The triage nurse told me that he’s in room 20, but he had to go for a CT Scan. Why?”

“Look. There’s nobody around. Why don’t we just go back there and see him?”

Riley looked at his watch. “It _has_ been a while since they told me that he was going for the scan. Let’s go.” He and Moana walked through the hallway to the ER patient rooms. They looked for Room 20 and headed in that direction, only to see a fleet of nurses and equipment trickling out into the hallway. He and Moana stopped in their tracks when they realized that all of the hoopla was surrounding Chase’s room. “What do you think’s going on?”

“I have no idea. Let’s ask.” She walked up to a nurse. “Excuse me, but what’s going on?”

“Are you family members?” Moana nodded. “Please have a seat in this empty room here. The doctor will be right with you.”

She motioned toward Riley to come into Room 18 with her. He joined her in the room, and they sat down. Riley took the bed, and Moana sat in the chair. “The nurse said that the doctor would be in to talk with us.”

“What’s going on with Chase?” Riley’s voice had a hint of panic. “He’s going to be okay, right?”

“I don’t know but, judging by the number of people in that room, it doesn’t look good.”

Riley gulped. “Chase…” A doctor walked into the room, and Riley jumped out of his chair. “How is he?”

He shook his head. “The injury is worse than we initially suspected. When we took Mr. Randall in to have a CT Scan of his head, he started to gag, which required us to intubate him and protect his airway. We also had to heavily sedate him to perform that procedure and to perform the scan. Currently, there is no sign of any bleeding, but we are going to have to admit him until we are sure of all of his symptoms.”

Riley gasped. “Oh, my God…”

“Can we go in and see him?” Moana asked.

He looked at the both of them. “Are you family?”

“I am his legal guardian, Moana,” she explained, “and this young gentleman here is Riley Griffin, Chase’s boyfriend.”

“Well, we don’t usually allow boyfriends back to visit in cases like this, but I can see that he must be something special, so I’ll allow it. Now, I’ll warn you: Although he cannot physically respond, he will be able to hear you, so feel free to express anything that you want to. Whether he will remember tonight or not is currently unknown, due to us not knowing the real extent of his injuries. We will need to fill out his vital information – full name, address, et cetera – for our own records. Can you provide that information to our nurses?” Riley nodded. “Excellent!” He peeked out into the hall, and then turned back toward Riley and Moana. “It looks as though the excitement has died down for now. Are you guys ready to visit Mr. Randall?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I want to, but…”

“We’re ready,” Moana said, taking Riley’s hand. He looked at her. “It’ll be okay.” She looked at the doctor. “Let’s go.”

“Follow me,” he said, leading them back to Room 20 and Chase. “Now, because he has been intubated and sedated, we are breathing for him with a manual respirator, or a process that we refer to as ‘bagging.’ It looks much worse than it actually is.” He stopped by the door. “You may enter.” He stepped aside, allowing Moana and Riley access to the room. “If you need me, just push the ‘Nurse’ button on the remote.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Moana spoke. She entered the room first, with Riley in tow. “Oh, Chase. He’s so still…”

Riley went around her and approached the sleeping Chase. He felt tears start to well up in his eyes, looking at his boyfriend, unresponsive and lying on a hospital bed. He couldn’t believe that a simple fall could have led to this, especially since he was wearing a helmet. He touched Chase’s shoulder, then moved down his arm and took his hand in his. He closed his eyes and looked down, the tears starting to trail down his cheeks.

“Riley?” Moana asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Just… Let him have this,” the nurse replied. “He looks like he needs this quiet time.”

“He… He can hear me, right?” Riley asked. The nurse nodded. He looked down again. “Chase, I know that you’re in there. It’s me, Ry. I’m here, and will be here as long as they let me stay. Please, I know that you’re strong. You can beat this. I know that it’s not going to be serious, and you’ll be back. I love you.”

Moana approached the nurse. “Surely, this just looks really bad, right? From what Riley said, the fall didn’t even look that bad.”

“I can’t comment right now. The tests are still being processed.”

She put her hand on Riley’s shoulder. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I… I just…” He fought to get some words out, still not able to process how, just a couple of hours ago, Chase was skateboarding around the park, seemingly without any care in the world. Now, he was lying here, unresponsive and with potentially serious injuries. He released Chase’s hand, and it fell to his side. “I need some air.” He ran out of the room.

“I’ll go and get him,” Moana said.

“Don’t be too forceful. Clearly, this is traumatic for him, and he needs to deal with this in his own way. However, we will need the two of you to fill out Chase’s information for his medical records. We would ask him, but there is the possibility that he might not be able to recall a lot of the information that we will need.”

She nodded. “I understand. Thank you – and, thank everyone – for everything you’ve done so far. I’ll be back with Riley.” She exited the room and walked over to the nearby Nurse’s Station. “Did you guys see a young man, dressed in green, go by here a bit ago?”

“Yes, ma’am. He went into the ER lobby. It’s just through those doors right there. I’ll buzz you out!”

“Thank you.” She walked through the doors and entered the lobby, where she saw Riley sitting on a bench outside. She walked out of the lobby and approached him. “How are you holding up?”

He looked at her. His eyes were red from crying. “How does this happen? All he did was miss a jump. Now, he’s lying there, and he can’t even talk to me. I never should have let him film that stupid movie!”

“Wait a minute. Are you blaming YOURSELF for what happened?”

“Who else is at fault? Santamonica? Fat chance. Chase signed the insurance waivers. I’m the one that told him to fill out the forms. I’m the one that told him to go ahead and shoot the scenes.”

“Chase would have filmed this movie, with or without your consent. He’s a grown man, Riley. Yes, you’re his boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean that you can control his every move. Heck, I can’t control his every move, and I’m a fortune teller!” Riley smirked. “There’s that smile that I saw back in the car yesterday morning.” She paused. “Hey, speaking of which, where IS your family?”

“Matt called when he saw Chase being loaded onto the ambulance. He was going to take Mom and Grandma back to the farm. He was going to bring them here, but I told him that I’d rather not have them here, at least not yet.”

“Oh, what a relief. I thought they might still be at the park. Oh, and don’t worry about Mr. Santamonica. I have a strong feeling that he’s going to be paying for all of Chase’s medical expenses. I can be _very_ persuasive, you know.”

“Oh, I know.”

She sat down on the bench, next to him. “Hey. Chase is going to be all right. The nurse did mention that he might not remember everything that happened today, but that could be due to the sedation and the immediate trauma of what happened.”

He wiped his eyes. “He’s gonna pull through. I know Chase and, like you said, he’s headstrong. I know that he’s in there, and he’ll be back.”

“That’s the spirit! Now, we have to go in and fill out Chase’s particulars for his medical records. How much _do_ you know about him, anyway?” He looked at her. “Wait, I don’t want to know.” She stood up and offered her hand for help. “C’mon. Let’s go and get this over with.”

“Okay…” He and Moana went back inside and made their way back to the Nurses’ Station to fill out Chase’s information for his records. After ten minutes of questions and answers, they were finished.

“Would you like to stay here, or return home? Mr. Randall is sedated, and it could be a while until he is awake.”

Moana looked at Riley. “Do you want to stay here, or go back to your family?”

“Well, they live a couple of hours away, so I’m probably not going back there. I could go back to my place. I don’t think I live too far from here.” He looked at the nurse. “By the way, where exactly _is_ here, in relation to DelSangro Court?”

“Oh, that’s off of South Main Street, a couple of exits down on the Interstate.”

“Wow, I live that close to this place, and I never knew it. My brain must be fried.”

“Are you sure you’ll be fine alone? You can always stay with me at my place.”

“No, but thank you. I think I need a night to myself to process everything that’s happened. I can call the others and fill them in. They’ll probably want to come up and visit tomorrow.”

“Okay, but the offer stands. If you need anything, _please_ call me,” Moana offered.

“Thanks. I will.”

“You’ll need a ride to your place, you know. I just happen to have a car. Want a lift with a crazy old fortune teller, or would you rather spend $200 on an Uber ride?”

“The Uber drivers offer free candy and water,” Riley replied, smirking.

“Oh, you…”

~*~

Riley walked into his living room and collapsed on his couch. He kicked his shoes off and laid down. He reached for his Dino Com and called Kendall. “Kendall, are you there?”

_“Riley? Is everything okay?”_

“Well, yes and no. Mostly no.” He sighed.

_“Riley? What’s going on?”_

“Chase was in an accident while he was filming that movie this afternoon. He was rushed back to the hospital. That’s where I’ve been – with Moana – for the past several hours.”

_“Oh, my gosh! Is everything okay?”_

“It’s too soon for the CT Scan results to be in, so they don’t know the extent of his injuries.”

_“Are you there now? I’ll call the others and we’ll meet you up there.”_

“No, I’m back at my place. Moana gave me a ride home, since I rode to the hospital in the ambulance. The family’s back home on the farm. I’m going to call Matt next and give him the latest. Chase was sedated, so it was pointless to stay there all night.”

_“Well, call me in the morning and let me know when you’re going to go up there. I’ll wrangle the others and we’ll meet you. Poor Chase! I hope it’s not too serious.”_

“Me, too.” He sighed again. “I feel like it’s my fault for letting him film the movie.”

_“If that brief fling with Chase I had all those years ago taught me anything, it’s that Chase is headstrong, and usually doesn’t listen to others. When he wants to do something, he’s going to do it, even if the entire world’s population has told him that it’s a bad idea. He **is** twenty-one, you know. He’s a legal adult in every country on the planet.”_

“I know, but, still, I could have been more apprehensive about it.”

_“More apprehensive? You had me analyze the forms before you said yes. You’re the one who jumped to this being a trap by Sledge and Poisandra. Had you been any more apprehensive, you would have tied Chase down and held him captive in your apartment.”_

“Chase would have liked being tied down too much.”

_“And, that’s where we officially cross the line into oversharing. Get some sleep, and let me know when you want to meet up at the hospital in the morning. Good night!”_

“G’night, Kendall.” With that, the call ended. Riley pulled out his phone and started to look through the photos of him and Chase. “Chase, I really hope that you’re going to be okay when this is all over.” He set the phone down on the coffee table, curled up on the couch, and drifted off to sleep.

~*~

> _Riley walked into the lobby of the hospital, and approached the welcome desk. “I’m looking for Chase Randall. Can you tell me what room he’s in?”_
> 
> _“Certainly,” the woman replied, typing frantically on her keyboard. “Ah, yes. He’s in Room 2112. Take the C Elevators up to the second floor, and go to the 100 section. He’s in there.”_
> 
> _“Thank you,” he said. He walked down the hall and made his way to the C Elevators. He pressed the ‘Up’ button, summoning the elevator. After a minute, the doors directly in front of him opened, and he stepped onto the car. He pressed ‘2,’ and the doors closed. Soon after they closed, they opened again. Riley emerged onto the second floor and read the sign, noting that the 100 section was to his left. He walked through the open doors and followed the room number signs to 2112. He took a deep breath and walked in, not really knowing what to expect. He quickly stopped when he saw Chase lying on the bed, free of any medical equipment whatsoever. “Chase!”_
> 
> _Chase’s eyes opened, and he rolled over, smiling. “Hey, gorgeous! Where have you been?”_
> 
> _“I was so worried! I thought, after what I saw last night, that you might not be okay.”_
> 
> _He pressed a button on the remote, elevating the upper half of his bed. “It’s going to take more than a mouse to keep this hot shot down, mate! Now, come here. We’ve got to make up for lost time.” Chase smirked._
> 
> _Riley looked around. “Here?”_
> 
> _“Why not?”_
> 
> _“Well, for starters, this is a hospital, and the rooms here aren’t known for having privacy.”_
> 
> _“There’s a curtain. What more do you want?”_
> 
> _“Walls.”_
> 
> _“We had sex in a freeway rest area bathroom, and now, you want privacy?” He sighed. “Well, if you won’t be daring, how about just a kiss?”_
> 
> _“That, I can do.” He walked over to Chase and bent down. He leaned in and kissed Chase, who reached his arms around Riley and pulled him in, deepening the kiss. After what felt like minutes, the two broke their kiss, and Riley stood back up. “Wow!”_
> 
> _“Good, wasn’t it?” Chase smiled. Riley nodded. “There’s more where that came from, and – there’s a traffic jam on I-275. Motorists are advised to take an alternate route…”_
> 
> _“What?”_

~*~

Riley sprang up and looked at his clock radio, which read 7:00am, with the radio station blaring the morning traffic report. He sighed and turned off his alarm. “What a wonderful dream. Why did it have to end so soon?” He looked out the window. “It looks nice out. I think I’ll go for a run before I go and visit Chase.” He changed into sweatpants and a tank top, put on a lightweight jacket, and headed out to run around the neighborhood.

A short time after he left, he pulled out his phone and called Kendall. She had wanted him to call her to set up the gang coming up with him to visit Chase. “Hello, Kendall?”

_“Riley, it is 7:15 in the morning.”_

“Good morning to you, too.”

_“Oh, right. I told you to call this early. I’m sorry. I had a rough night last night. How was your night?”_

“I had such a wonderful dream, up until my alarm woke me up. I’m out running right now.”

_“That’s good. You needed a relaxing night. When did you want to meet up at the hospital?”_

“Visiting hours start at 10:00, so… 10:00?”

_“That should give me enough time to put on my face. We’ll meet you up there.”_

“Sounds like a plan. See you there!”

_“Bye, Riley. Enjoy your run!”_ She ended the call.

Riley turned his music back on, put his earbuds back in, and then continued his run.

~*~

Later that morning, Riley was sitting in the main lobby of the hospital, when he saw Kendall’s van pull up. He watched as, one by one, the gang piled out: Koda was riding shotgun, with Tyler and Shelby in the back. The four of them approached the automatic door, which surprised Koda. Riley snickered. “Even after knowing him for almost a year now, Koda’s still frightened by the simplest of things.”

Kendall took notice of Riley’s grin as she approached him. “So, you seem like you’re in good spirits.”

“No, I was smiling at Koda’s amazement of the automatic door.”

“Some things still frighten me,” he replied. “No need to be mean about it.”

“I wasn’t! I thought it was cute!”

“Oh. Thanks!” He smiled.

“So, have you gotten an update on Chase yet?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah, we want to know what we’re in store for when we get to the room,” Shelby said.

He shook his head. “I just got here a little bit ago. I do know that he’s on the fifth floor, in room 517.”

“Do you want any of us to come up with you now, or should we wait?”

“I’d like someone there with me, just in case things aren’t going well.”

“I’ll come with you, then,” Kendall said, turning to the others. “You guys take Koda up by way of the stairs. I don’t know how he’ll be with hospital elevators. This is probably enough of a shock.”

“Do we have to take the stairs?”

“Do _you_ want to talk Koda down out of a panic attack in the enclosed space of an elevator?”

“Good point,” Shelby replied. “I need to get my workout in this morning, anyway.”

“Koda been up since four. Got three workouts in before breakfast!”

“Good luck. We’ll see you up there,” Kendall said. She turned toward Riley. “Are you ready?”

He took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Let’s go.” Kendall led Riley toward the elevator. In the meanwhile, Tyler led Koda and Shelby toward the stairwell. As they waited for the car, she turned to him. “Now, you should be prepared for the worst.” He looked at her, shocked. “I know that you want Chase to be his old self, but he did have a serious accident. With what I’ve heard, anything could have happened since last night.”

“I know that you’re right, but I really hope that he’s alright. The fact that he hasn’t called does have me worried, though.”

The elevator dinged, the doors opened, and the two walked in. Kendall pressed ‘5,’ and the doors closed. “Maybe he doesn’t have a phone?”

“That’s a possibility.”

_“Fifth Floor.”_ The elevator doors opened, and Riley took notice of the sign, which read “Trauma ICU.”

“Trauma?” Riley gulped.

“That’s where they keep all of the head injury patients. I’m surprised that you’re not more concerned with the ‘ICU’ part of the sign.”

“I’m concerned enough. Let’s find Chase.”

The two walked through the open doors and to the central desk. Kendall approached it first, followed by Riley, who was looking at all of the equipment that was lining the halls. “Excuse me.”

“Can I help you?”

“We’re friends of Chase Randall. He’s in room 517. Can you tell us which way that is?”

“Absolutely. It’s to the right, five doors down on the left.”

“Thank you.” She looked at Riley, who was distracted. She grabbed his arm and dragged him. “Come on!” They got to the room. She pushed him toward the door. “You go in first. Signal when you’d like for us to come in. The others should be here soon.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay.” He walked into the room and saw Chase lying on the bed. He was wired into a machine that monitors his brainwave activity, and he had an IV in his right arm. Riley audibly gasped, which woke Chase out of his slumber. “Chase… Oh, my gosh, look at you!”

Chase looked at Riley, confused. “Do I know you?”


End file.
